


Of Quests and Quandaries

by endgirl



Category: Legend of the Seeker
Genre: F/F, Femslash, Silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-07
Updated: 2011-08-07
Packaged: 2017-10-22 07:42:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/235738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/endgirl/pseuds/endgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cara, Kahlan, and Richard lose their weapons. Questing ensues. Lessons are learned. Sex is discussed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Quests and Quandaries

**Author's Note:**

> For the [legendland](http://legendland.livejournal.com/) Treasure Hunt challenge. Blame that.

She hasn’t spoken to Richard since King’s Row.

“Come on, Cara, I was just saying that  _maybe_  you’d be better off without them,” Richard says. 

It is his fourth attempt since they’d left Aydindril through the city gates, first clue in hand. Richard is met once again with silence, and a look so venomous it could fell six rabid gars in a single heartbeat. His horse ducks its head down in commiserative fear.

“Mother Confessor, please inform the Seeker that I have no desire to discuss my Agiels with a granny-saving, kitten-loving, incomprehensible excuse for a Lord Rahl.”

Kahlan chuckles. “Cara, I think you’re being a little harsh. After all, your Agiels  _have_  caused a lot of suffering.”

“That’s not what you said last night.” 

Richard nearly topples from his horse, and Kahlan turns her beet-red face back to the road ahead. It is going to be a long quest.

\--

By the time they reach the People’s Palace, all conversation has stopped. The sound of hooves on stone mixes with the low rumble of the marketplace, and children race between their horses’ legs. Richard steals glances at Cara and Kahlan, and the Mord-Sith rides with her arms folded over her chest. 

Finally, Kahlan sighs.

“Richard, please stop pouting. What did you think would happen when you told Cara to serve me as if I were her Lord Rahl?”

“I.... Well....” Richard’s lower lip sticks out so far it takes on a life of its own. “I thought I would at least be  _invited_!” 

Cara coughs, and Kahlan glares at her.

“We did invite you,” Kahlan says soothingly. “It just... must have gotten lost in the mail?”

“Hmm.” Richard frowns for a moment as he dismounts in front of the Palace guards, and then a wide smile spreads across his face. “You know what? I bet it was stolen along with all our weapons!”

Cara’s eyes widen, but Kahlan pokes her in the leg before she can answer. Cara grits her teeth. “Yes, that must be what happened. Kahlan and I will go to the Mord-Sith baths to... search.”

Richard shrugs. “Okay, but make sure you look everywhere.”

“My Lord,” Cara says, “I can assure you that I will be  _very thorough_.”

Cara smirks, and Kahlan pulls her away from Richard with a sharp yank toward the Palace.

“Be right back!” Kahlan shouts over her shoulder.

\--

“I still don’t understand why you had to get  _in_  the baths to find this clue.” Richard squints at the creased scrap of parchment as they trot toward their next destination, the castle at Tamarang.

“It was... at the bottom of the pool,” Kahlan says, ringing more water from her hair.

“But then why isn’t it wet?” Richard frowns. “Wait, why aren’t your  _clothes_  wet?”

\--

Richard is relieved when the next tip takes them to Hartland. Denna had been in Tamarang, sprawled across the throne as Queen Milena pawed at her feet.  _Liberated it_ , Denna corrected, when Richard asked why she had overthrown the palace. And then she gave him some personal attention before handing over the next clue. Very personal.

As he walks -- hobbles -- toward his old house with Kahlan and Cara, he wonders whether his equipment will ever be the same again. If this is what the Mord-Sith mean when they talk about serving their Lord Rahl, well, maybe he can’t blame Kahlan after all.

When they enter the house, Richard slumps into the first chair he finds. He glances at the Mother Confessor, and marvels at the way she seems comfortable and alert -- not at all ready to collapse in exhaustion, like he is himself. 

“Kahlan, how do you...?” Richard’s voice trails off as his eyes drift shut.

“Practice,” Kahlan says.

Cara stalks through the house, opening cabinets and upending furniture in search of their weapons. “Found another clue.” She pops her head out of a narrow doorway. “A lot of practice,” she adds.

Kahlan pats Richard on the arm. 

\--

“But how do we  _know_  the clue meant  _this_  Stowecroft?” Cara says.

“Cara--” Kahlan starts.

“I’m sure there are a hundred other Stowecrofts. Far, far away from here. We should probably turn around.” Cara pulls on her reins, and her horse begins to turn in the tall grass.

“Cara!” Kahlan reaches out to grab the reins. She tugs the animal’s head back toward the thatched houses on the horizon. “I swear, you’re as bad as Richard,” she mutters under her breath. 

“But no one likes me here,” Cara whines. “Last time they made me wear a dress.”

Kahlan’s eyebrows rise in interest. “Remind me, was there cleavage?”

Cara pouts, and Richard claps the Mord-Sith on the back with a smile. “Come on, I heard your sister’s cat just had a new litter.” The noise Cara emits sounds very much like a hiss, and Richard carefully removes his hand from her shoulder.

\--

They leave Stowecroft several days later with zero weapons, one new clue, and a pack stuffed with dresses. The road to Brennidon is long.

“My feet hurt.”

“Richard, you’re on a horse.”

“I hate quests.”

Kahlan pinches the bridge of her nose. “Cara, you hate everything.”

“Except you,” Cara says. “And pain.” 

“I think we must be close now.” Kahlan points toward a large village in the distance. “That’s Brennidon, and we’ve solved five clues already. The thief must be growing tired.”

Cara runs her fingers along the empty holster that normally holds her Agiels. Kahlan leans over in her saddle and squeezes Cara’s hand. 

\--

As they approach Aydindril, the mood is even more heated than it was on the way out. They walk their horses along the wide dirt road that leads to the city gates, alternating between booming strings of curses and furious stretches of silence.

“This whole time-- THE WHOLE TIME!” Cara thrusts one gloved finger into Richard’s upper arm.

“I’m sorry! How was I supposed to know? It’s not like the clues  _said_  Aydindril Academy Annual Kinder Quest on them! And the first one was sitting right next to where our weapons were supposed to be!”

“Because it belonged to the blacksmith’s daughter!” Cara screeches. “It was written in CRAYON!”

“Let’s just think about all of the  _good_  things that we learned--” Kahlan starts to speak, but her voice is drowned out.

“If I had my Agiels, Richard, I swear--” 

Cara reaches for where her Agiel should be, but her hand closes around the carved wooden trophy that hangs there instead. Kahlan had insisted they each take one from the Participants’ Table in Brennidon. She protested at the time, but as Cara pulls the trophy from her belt and jabs it at Richard, she is grateful she finally has a weapon.

Even if it does say  _I’M A #1 QUESTER_  at the bottom.


End file.
